He thinks that this Monarchy (these are his own terms[577]) is of use in the church for maintaining its unity.  In fine, in a piece against Rivetus[578], he proves the primacy of the Pope from a passage of St. Cyprian, and adds, “You see that the primacy is hereby established; and this name in every society implies some jurisdiction.  The Bishop of Rome, says he[579], is Prince of the Christian Aristocrasy, as it has been called before our time by the Bishop of Fossombrone.  This primacy is under Jesus Christ, and may be exercised without tyranny, and without destroying the rights which the Bishops have over the churches committed to them.”  He entertained favourable sentiments of the Episcopal authority even before his embassy; and thought it necessary to preserve the unity of the Church[580].  “It is a question only in name[581](says he to his brother some years after) to ask whether Episcopacy be of divine right:  it is sufficient that Jesus Christ has set the example in the college of Apostles; that the Apostles have followed it, and that this establishment has been approved by the universal consent of the Church, excepting some innovators of the present age.”

He handles this point in the eleventh Chapter of the treatise Of the power of Sovereigns in matters of Religion[582]; he says it is fanaticism to advance that a Bishop has nothing above a simple Priest.  “Episcopacy, says he[583], that is to say the preheminence of a Pastor, is not contrary to the Divine right.  It is incumbent on him who thinks otherwise, that is, who accuses the whole ancient Church of folly and impiety, to prove his opinion.  That Episcopacy[584] was received by the whole Church appears from the general councils, which have always had great authority with all devout men; witness the national and provincial councils, where we find certain marks of the Episcopal precedency; witness all the Fathers without exception.  Episcopacy began with the Apostles[585]:  to be convinced of this we need only have recourse to the catalogues of Bishops in Irenaeus, Eusebius, Socrates, Theodoret, and others, who all make them begin with the Apostles.  It would be very great obstinacy or disrespect to reject authors of so great weight, who unanimously agree in an historical fact.  The history of all ages informs us of the advantages which the Church has derived from Episcopacy[586].”  However he did not yet venture to say[587] that Episcopacy was of Divine establishment:  he contented himself with maintaining that it was of Apostolical institution.  This was sufficient to offend a party among whom there were some who carried their fury and ignorance so far, as to maintain that Episcopacy was an invention of Satan:  an expression which scandalized Grotius even in his youth, as appears by a letter written in 1614 to Daniel Heinsius[588].  He became more bold afterwards; and was not afraid to maintain in the face of the pretended reformation[589], that Episcopacy was established by Christ, and that it were to be wished it were restored wherever it had been abolished.